The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-04-18
OWENS Record.

Albert Owen, the founder OF the Credit
Foncier, as has been said before, pears pad
reputation among the honest people VINO
know him we'll At some time owen has
really signed contract with the Mexican
government, for this contract or copy of it
was shown to Mr.. Rowe by government Of
ficer. The agreement calls for the construc-
ton OF a railroad and the settlement OF hye
hundred families in a tract OF land on the
Fuesta river. Just how mich claim to the
land Owen would have had even had he car
ried out the provisions of the contract, Is not
clear, but he had failed to, keep the agree
ment long before the colony OF 1887 was
"The land, itself, is worthless, said Mr..
Rowe. Every inch of valuable land in
Mexico Is owned by the Mexicans: Owen
lied to get us to 90 there. He didn't own a
foot of land in Mexico at the time. lie has
succeeded in having half Of the railroad
graded but that is overfiowed.
OWENS PREVIOUS COLONIES.
The collection of roughs and dupes. living
in their tents on the shore of Topolobampo
Bay last winter, were not the first people
who had settled somewhere in the vicinity
under the management Of Owen. Before
1884, one colony had tried to exist there and
disbanded. Some of the men who were in
terest in that venture are now living on the
Sonora river in Mexico.
In 1884, Owen tried again and got another
colony to the place, but the yellow fever SET
in and those whom il did not kill were glad
to get away. The colony which the Maine
people Joined was scattered about IN several
settlements on the tract Of land claimed by
Owen. There were one or two other bodies
eff settlers besides those seen Dy MI Rowe
at the Bay and Libertad.
now OWEN MAKES MONEY.
From Mr.. Rewe's account Of the life at the
colony, it would seem that Owen was en-
gagged in systematic attempt to rob the set
tiers. He has two classes Of people in the
colony who cannot be expected to unite
against him. One of these are the Western
men W he have apparently been brought Il
Mexico to render Owens operations posi-
BILE. Then there are the people of the Other
class who come to the colony with money
ana provis ons. They are the ones who suf
fer. Their money is taken from them undel
the social system of government, the money
is taken from their letters and when they
have been bled of everything they brought
| to the wretched place, those who are able ar,
allowed to get away in the best manner that
| they can.
The director at Libertad, Pratt by name
| DR.. Peat, Wilbur and DR.. Schelbous, as Mr.
Rowe expressed it, were the head cut-throati
| under Owen.
Besides his crooked transactions with the
| colonists, Owen seems to have attempted t.
| defraud the people who live near his settle
ments. When the Maine party hired thu
| sloop at Saragossa, Rowe asked the ownel
how it compared in size with the sloop a
| Topolobampo owned by Owen. The man
| replied s'that sloop you speak of doesn't be
| long to Owen. He bought it of me and gavi
me his note for it. But he hasn't paid the
note and I'm going around for the sloop."
Owen also was the first to violate the sys-
| tenn of integral cooperation, for besides sub
| stituting his serial organization for it, he al
| lowed store to be opened in the colon,
| where those people who by any chance ha(
money, could buy goods at about tire,
| times their value
| After the Maine people had got away from
| the colony, circular was issued from the
| New York Office of the Credit Foncier Com
| pany, in which it was denied that there wa:
| any trouble at Topolobampo. or many case.
| of disease. A statement TO this effect bore
| the signatures of large number of colonists
| Mr.. Rowe says that with three exception;
every name on the paper is a member o
| the Owen party of roughs. These three ar,
| Illinois men, who probably signed the pape
| to keep out of trouble.
When Mr.. Rowe left the colony he though
that in the different settlements there might
| be, all told, $50 people, but could not say def
| nitely. There were signs then that the colo
| ny was breaking up.